Eulalia Rubio, senior researche fellow at Notre Europe-Jacques Delors Institute on the questions relative to the European budget spoke during this seminar organized by the Institut Clingendael and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 23rd and 24th, 2011 in The Hague.

Eulalia Rubio, senior researche fellow at Notre Europe-Jacques Delors Institute on the questions relative to the European budget spoke during this seminar organized by the Institut Clingendaeland the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 23rd and 24th, 2011 in The Hague.

In June 2010 the European Council adopted the Europe 2020 strategy. It is the policy strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth towards the year 2020. In June 2011 the European Commission published their budget proposals for a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) called A budget for Europe 2020. It is the financial counterpart of the EU 2020 strategy. One category of the new budget is smart growth. It contains themes such as competitiveness, education, research & innovation.

This seminar will discuss smart growth in terms of modernisation of the EU budget. In other words, to what extent is the long term strategy towards 2020 translated into concrete financial plans. The focus is on the added value of the EU. This can be looked upon from different perspectives. One perspective is the incorporation of the

flagship initiatives of the EU 2020 strategy in the MFF 2014-2020.

Another perspective is whether European and national policy are complementary. In this way the seminar will contribute to the discussion about the importance and necessity of competitiveness, education, research & innovation in the EU budget.

The meeting will take place under Chatham House Rule, aiming at a free and open discussion. Participants are senior officials from Member States of the European Union, from the European institutions, but also opinion leaders from the private sector and academics.